CAN'T OVERDOSE ON GRASS

America is at a crossroad. It has been for several years, and we
have to make several important decisions. Do we move forward and
choose some necessary evils that may or may not keep our country
floating along or do we just button up and wait for the apocalypse to come?

Mr. VonCannon wants to button up. In a May 14 letter, Michael
VonCannon criticizes the legalize marijuana movement. I don't know
VonCannon, but I will hazard to assume that he is of a generation
that was shown "Reefer Madness" and bought all the government lies
and propaganda hook, line and sinker on the "evils" of Mary Jane.

It is an absolute fact that not one single person in the 5,000 years
of use of marijuana has died from it. It is a scientific impossibly
to OD on THC, while overdosing on alcohol (called alcohol poisoning)
is a common occurrence.

The concept that marijuana is a "gateway" drug is the government's
fault because once people realize that they've been lied to about
marijuana they assume that they've been lied to about heroin and cocaine.

Yes, marijuana does have some harmful effects. It has far more
carcinogens than regular cigarettes, but unlike tobacco, marijuana
can suppress the side effects of chemotherapy and is a non-addictive
painkiller. Short-term use is completely harmless, provided that you
don't drive.

As a side note, the United States Constitution, the supreme law of
the land, was written on hemp paper.

Greg Ranzoni, Albany